Daniel 8:15-16
When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Daniel's immediate search for understanding, not just passively receiving the vision, highlights that divine revelation often sparks deeper inquiry. The appearing figure is described "as the appearance of a man"—a deliberate choice of words, possibly hinting at the angel Gabriel, whose name itself means "man of God," underscoring the heavenly messenger's connection to humanity.
Daniel has just witnessed a powerful and confusing vision of a ram and a goat, symbols that clearly represent empires and kings, but he doesn't grasp its full significance. He's actively trying to figure it out when a divine messenger, who appears as a man, suddenly stands before him to explain the vision. This encounter sets the stage for the angel's interpretation, which will unfold in the following verses.
Understand the original words
Gabrı̂y’ēl · Hebrew Proper Noun
A common Hebrew term for an angel or supernatural messenger of God; in this instance, a specific named angel tasked with delivering and interpreting divine revelation.
mar’eh · Hebrew Noun
A revelatory experience granted by God to prophets, through which divine truths or future events are visually or mentally presented to them.
This vision unfolds in a specific historical moment during Daniel's exile, directly addressing future empires and the persecution of God's people, revealing that even prophets may need divine explanation for heavenly visions.
c. 553 BC— this verse
Daniel's Vision of the Ram and Goat
Daniel receives a complex vision involving a ram and a goat, symbolizing empires and their conflicts, which he struggles to comprehend.
c. 553 BC
Appearance of the Angel Gabriel
As Daniel seeks understanding, the angel Gabriel appears to him in human form to explain the vision.
c. 553 BC
Gabriel Instructs Daniel
The angel Gabriel begins to reveal the meaning of the vision, detailing the rise and fall of the Medo-Persian and Greek empires.
c. 553 BC
Prophecy of the 'Little Horn'
The vision extends to foretell the actions of a 'little horn' power, which historically aligns with Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his persecution of the Jews.
This passage shows Daniel's immediate desire to understand the meaning of the visions he receives, a similar earnest seeking as seen in Daniel 8:15.
Daniel 10:10-14Here, an angelic being appears to Daniel after he mourns and seeks understanding, highlighting the connection between earnest seeking and divine revelation through angelic messengers.
Luke 1:19This verse identifies Gabriel as standing in the presence of God and being sent to bring messages, aligning with the angelic figure who appears to Daniel to explain the vision.
Hebrews 1:14This verse speaks of angels as ministering spirits sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation, reflecting the role of the angelic visitor in Daniel's experience.
ellicottDaniel 8:15: "And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man."
(15) Appearance of a man.— From Daniel 8:16 it appears that this was the angel Gabriel. The “man’s voice” mentioned in Daniel 8:16 proceeded from Him Who alone has authority to command angels. (Comp. Daniel 12:6-7 .)
bensonDaniel 8:15: "And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man."
Daniel 8:15-16 . When I had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning — Here we are informed of Daniel’s earnest desire to have the vision explained to him. For those that rightly know the things of God, cannot but desire to be led still further into the mystery of them. And those who desire to know the meaning of what they…
Daniel's immediate search for understanding, not just passively receiving the vision, highlights that divine revelation often sparks deeper inquiry. The appearing figure is described "as the appearance of a man"—a deliberate choice of words, possibly hinting at the angel Gabriel, whose name itself means "man of God," underscoring the heavenly messenger's connection to humanity.
Daniel has just witnessed a powerful and confusing vision of a ram and a goat, symbols that clearly represent empires and kings, but he doesn't grasp its full significance. He's actively trying to figure it out when a divine messenger, who appears as a man, suddenly stands before him to explain the vision. This encounter sets the stage for the angel's interpretation, which will unfold in the following verses.
Daniel has just witnessed a powerful and confusing vision of a ram and a goat, symbols that clearly represent empires and kings, but he doesn't grasp its full significance. He's actively trying to figure it out when a divine messenger, who appears as a man, suddenly stands before him to explain the vision. This encounter sets the stage for the angel's interpretation, which will unfold in the following verses.
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c. 553 BC
The Vision's Duration
Gabriel explains the prophetic timeframe of 2,300 evenings and mornings, a period of sanctuary desecration.
c. 553 BC
Daniel's Affliction
Overwhelmed by the vision's implications, Daniel falls sick for a period, highlighting the emotional and spiritual toll of such revelations.
"When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understan…" — Daniel's immediate search for understanding, not just passively receiving the vision, highlights that divine revelation often sparks deeper inquiry. The appearing figure is described "as the appearan…
